


Stay With Me

by StackerPentecost



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Kiss, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24719473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StackerPentecost/pseuds/StackerPentecost
Summary: Frank's getting married and it's Billy's last chance to tell the truth.---A request for Brank + "Will you miss me at all?"
Relationships: Frank Castle/Billy Russo
Kudos: 26
Collections: The Punisher





	Stay With Me

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I've been so slow with updates and new content. My brain hasn't been a very creative place as of late. Hopefully I can get back into a rhythm again.

“Will you miss me at all?”

The question came out softer than intended, though it lingered between them long after Billy fell silent once more. Overhead, the stars shone, a blanket of light that felt like it was set out just for them. 

Beside him, Frank was equally as silent, and for a second Billy wondered if he’d fallen asleep, body warm from the alcohol they’d been sipping, and the blanket that was covering them against the nippy night air of late fall. But Frank’s eyes were open when Billy turned on his side to face him, confirming he was still awake and it only made Billy’s heart beat faster. 

“I’m not leaving you, Bill.” Frank finally said, his voice equally soft, as though afraid that speaking louder will somehow break the spell of the moment. “Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing each other anymore or that we won’t be in each other’s lives.” 

The logical part of Billy’s brain wanted to believe that what Frank said is true. But another part of him rebelled, refusing to believe anything but the worst. He already felt Frank slipping away from him, spending more and more time with his soon-to-be wife. And the awful thing was, Billy didn’t even dislike Maria. Maria was a good woman, a good person, beautiful and kind but not a pushover. He wanted to hate her, more than anything, but in the end, he doesn’t. He’d hurt Frank enough over the years, he didn’t want to make his best friend hate him. That wasn’t something he could handle. 

It was times like this that Billy wished he could rewind time, send them back to the beginning when they were both fresh out of basic training and it felt like his world made sense. They both had fallen into the rhythm of military life, had come to respect it, to even enjoy aspects of it. Coming home had been an adjustment, but he always had Frank, always. They shared apartments and meals and even clothes sometimes. 

Billy didn’t remember when his friendly platonic feelings had turned into something else entirely, into an ache deep in his chest that never seemed to fully go away. The only time it seemed to shrink was when he was with Frank, a chance for his longing to be doused. There once came a point where Billy almost felt like he was no longer pining, where he was sure Frank finally understood his feelings. But then he’d met Maria and Billy found himself left behind for a warm smile and a pretty dress. 

Now he was on the cusp of losing Frank for good and he still hadn’t been able to admit how he felt. Billy was normally a very confident, unflappable type of person. He had seen so much that not a lot scared him anymore. But having to say goodbye to Frank, having to live a life without him, scared him more than anything had in a very long time. 

“You know it won’t be the same. It hasn’t been the same since you met her.” Billy hadn’t meant for the words to come out sounding bitter but it was too late, he couldn’t take them back now. 

Billy’s words made Frank look away from the stars and turn his gaze on his best friend. “What are you talking about?” He didn’t sound angry, mostly perplexed, and concerned.

Billy opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn’t make himself speak the words. He hated this, hated how Frank turned him into an idiot who couldn’t speak for themselves. No one got to him like this except for Frank. 

“What’s going on with you? You’ve been acting so strange lately and especially tonight.” Frank could tell Billy wasn’t happy anymore, that he hadn’t been for quite a while. He had tried to get Billy to talk to him about it before but it seemed every time he made an effort, Billy rebuffed him and pushed him further and further away. Now it felt like there was a gulf between them, one that Frank feared could never be bridged. 

Billy knew if he admitted the truth of how he felt, he was risking a lot. Frank was getting married tomorrow and this would certainly change things but Billy found he could hold himself back no longer. He had been holding his tongue for years and denying his own feelings for just as long. This was his last chance and he was done being selfless. 

“You’re what’s going on with me.” Billy finally said, his obsidian eyes glimmering faintly in the light from the stars overhead. That was all the warning he gave Frank before he leaned in, cupping Frank’s jaw in his hand, thumb brushing against a cheekbone. He gave Frank a second or two to pull away, to reject him, but as recognition dawned in Frank’s eyes, there was no resistance, only a spark that made Billy’s heart skip. 

Billy always expected Frank’s lips to be soft but he had never imagined how truly soft they would be. Soft and pliant and utterly perfect. At first, Frank kissed back almost timidly, but soon he had a handful of Billy’s shirt, pulling him in closer. Billy licked into Frank’s mouth and felt immensely proud when he heard a moan rise up from Frank. He relished the hard planes of the other man’s body against his, loved the feeling of Frank’s stubble scraping against his skin. 

When they parted, they didn’t go far, heads resting close as their breaths mingled, sending up clouds of mist into the air around them. Frank’s eyes were closed but Billy couldn’t stop looking at him, taking in his features as much as he could in the muted light. Billy had never felt more himself, the weight in the pit of his stomach finally gone. 

When Frank’s eyes opened, they were warm, almost glowing in the starlight. “We’ll figure this out.” He finally murmured, slipping an arm around Billy’s waist in an attempt to bring him impossibly closer. “But I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. It’s you and me, Bill, no matter what.” 

As Billy allowed himself to be drowned in the feeling of Frank’s kisses, he hoped to whoever was out there that Frank was right. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm saintaleksander on Tumblr.


End file.
